Biographies

Mr. Michael H. Price is Executive Chairman of the Board of the Company. Mr. Price retired as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mercantile and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank on January 1, 2017, positions he had held since 2007. Mr. Price served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Mercantile and the Bank in 1997 and 1998, and as President and Chief Operating Officer of Mercantile and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank from 1999 to June of 2007. Mr. Price also served as Chairman of the Board of Mercantile from 2007 through the date of the Firstbank merger and resumed his position as Chairman of Mercantile following Mr. Sullivan’s retirement in May of 2015. Mr. Price has been and continues to be very active in the Grand Rapids community. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Metro Health Corporation and the Board of Trustees of Aquinas College. From 2005 to 2007, he served on the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis. Mr. Price also held leadership positions on the Boards of Habitat for Humanity of Kent County, Project Rehab and Network180. Mr. Price was the founding President of our organization and has demonstrated excellent leadership qualities and a strong understanding of the fundamentals of our industry. These attributes led us to conclude that he should be a member of our Board.

Mr. Robert B. Kaminski, Jr., serves as President, Chief Executive Officer, Director of the Company and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank. Mr. Kaminski was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Mercantile on January 1, 2017 and continues to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, a position he has held since 2015. Mr. Kaminski has held various positions of increasing influence and responsibility with Mercantile and the Bank, serving Mercantile and the Bank as Senior Vice President and Secretary from 1997 to 2003, Executive Vice President and Secretary from 2003 to June of 2007, Executive Vice President and Secretary from 2007 to 2015 and President and Chief Executive Officer from 2015 through 2016. In addition, he served as the Bank's Chief Operating Officer from 2000 to 2016. Mr. Kaminski serves on the Boards of Directors for Boys and Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth, the Heart of West Michigan United Way, the City of Wyoming Retirement Board, and the West Michigan Policy Forum. Mr. Kaminski also serves as a director of Mercantile, a position to which he was appointed by the Board on December 15, 2016. Mr. Kaminski served as a director of Mercantile previously from 2011 to 2014. Mr. Kaminski’s recent appointment as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mercantile, leadership of the organization since its inception as one of our founding executives and in-depth knowledge of commercial banking were key factors in our determination that he should be a member of our Board.

Mr. Charles E. Christmas serves as Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, Treasurer of the Company and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Bank. Mr. Christmas served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Mercantile and the Bank from 2000 to 2015. Mr. Christmas also serves as Treasurer of Mercantile, a position he has held since 2000. Prior to joining Mercantile, he examined various financial institutions for over ten years while serving as a bank examiner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). He began his tenure with the FDIC upon his graduation from Ferris State University. Mr. Christmas holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy. Mr. Christmas serves on the Michigan Bankers Association Funds Management Committee, is an instructor at the Michigan Bankers Association Perry School of Banking, serves as a Board member and President of the Susan G. Komen Michigan affiliate, is a member of the Ferris State University College of Business Advisory Board, and assists the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan in its fundraising activities.

Mr. Raymond E. Reitsma serves as President of the Bank of the Company. Mr. Reitsma was appointed to be the Bank’s West Region President. Mr. Reitsma’s areas of responsibility have included commercial lending, treasury/cash management, mortgage lending, and credit administration. Mr. Reitsma was also very instrumental in the preparation, transition and integration periods surrounding the merger with Firstbank Corporation. Mr. Reitsma currently serves on the local board of the American Heart Association, and served as the Chair for the 2015 Heart Walk. Additionally, he serves on the Advisory Council of DA Blodgett/St. John’s Home and has done so since 2011. Previously, Mr. Reitsma served on the Board of Directors of the Pine Rest Foundation for six years, including two years as Treasurer. He has also been involved with the local United Way agency, most recently as the annual Campaign Chair for the Bank. Mr. Reitsma graduated from Calvin College with a B.A. in Business Administration and also holds an MBA in Finance from Michigan State University.

Mr. Robert T. Worthington serves as Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary of the Company. Mr. Worthington was appointed Chief Operating Officer and Secretary of Mercantile on January 1, 2017, and continues to serve as Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Mercantile and the Bank. Mr. Worthington joined the Bank in 2009 as Senior Vice President and Risk Management Director and was appointed General Counsel of the Bank in 2011. In 2016, Mr. Worthington was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Bank and became Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Mercantile. Prior to joining the Bank, he was a corporate attorney, internal auditor, certified public accountant, and bank teller. Mr. Worthington serves as Chairman of Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes, Committee Member of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, Trustee of the Michigan Bankers Workers Compensation Fund, and Director of MiBankPAC.

Mr. Thomas R. Sullivan is Director of the Company. Mr. Sullivan joined Mercantile’s Board of Directors and was appointed Chairman of the Board and Vice Chairman of the Bank in June of 2014, following our merger with Firstbank. He retired from employment with Mercantile on May 28, 2015 and remains a director. Mr. Sullivan served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Firstbank Corporation beginning in January of 2000 through the date of the merger. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Firstbank (Mt. Pleasant) from December, 1991 until January, 2007. He served as a director of Firstbank (Mt. Pleasant) from 1991 through the date of the merger. He also served as a director of Firstbank – Alma and Firstbank – West Branch from January, 2000, Keystone Community Bank from October, 2005 and Firstbank – West Michigan from July, 2007, each through the date of the merger. Mr. Sullivan also served as an Officer of Firstbank Corporation from 1991 through the date of the merger. Additionally, Mr. Sullivan has been elected as a Member Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, serving in that capacity from 2004 through 2009, and from 2011 to the present. We concluded that Mr. Sullivan should serve as a member of our Board due to his extensive expertise as President and Chief Executive Officer of Firstbank and his experience in and knowledge of the Michigan community banking market.

Mr. David M. Cassard is Independent Director of Mercantile Bank Corp. He is the former Chairman of Waters Corporation, a commercial real estate investment and management company. He served as President and Treasurer of Waters Corporation for over 20 years and became Chairman in 2005. Before joining Waters Corporation, he worked for an international firm of Certified Public Accountants. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan (BBA) and Michigan State University (MBA), and he is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Property Manager. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of First Michigan Bank-Grand Rapids and was a member of the Boards of Directors of First Michigan Bank Corporation and Butterworth Hospital. He holds membership in the American Institute of CPAs, the Michigan Association of CPAs and the Institute of Real Estate Management. Mr. Cassard’s financial expertise and commercial real estate management experience were key factors in our determination that he should be a member of our Board.

Mr. Edward J. Clark is Independent Director of Mercantile Bank Corp., effective June 1, 2014. Mr. Clark is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The American Seating Company, and has held this position since 1986. American Seating is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and produces seating and furniture for offices, as well as seating for buses, rail cars, auditoriums, stadiums and performing arts centers. He is a graduate of Ohio State University (BSc) and the University of Pennsylvania (MBA). Mr. Clark is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Grand Valley State University Foundation. He is Chairman of the Membership Committee of the Grand Valley State University Foundation, and on the Advisory Board of the Seidman School of Business. From 1988 through 1997, he was a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of First Michigan Bank-Grand Rapids. Mr. Clark has also previously served on the Boards of Directors of the Metropolitan YMCA, the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, Red Cross of Kent County, The Blodgett/Butterworth Foundation, St. Mary’s Hospital, The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association, the Ohio State University Alumni Association, and the Grand Rapids Employees’ Association.

Ms. Michelle L. Eldridge is Independent Director of the company. Ms. Eldridge is a Principal of Clear Ridge Wealth Management (“Clear Ridge”) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which she co-founded in 2014. Clear Ridge provides integrated wealth management to high net worth families and customized investment management to institutional organizations. Prior to founding Clear Ridge, Ms. Eldridge was a Principal of LVM Capital for 16 years. Ms. Eldridge serves as a trustee of the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Foundation, is part of the Leadership Council of the Small Business Association of Michigan, is Treasurer of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, and is a member of the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre Endowment Fund Committee. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst, Certified Private Wealth Advisor®, and a graduate of Western Michigan University. Ms. Eldridge’s experience as a chartered financial analyst and licensed wealth manager, as well as her leadership roles in the communities we serve, were key factors in our determination that she should be a member of our Board.

Mr. Jeff A. Gardner is the Independent Director of the Mercantile Bank Corporation. Mr. Gardner joined Mercantile’s Board of Directors in June of 2014, following our merger with Firstbank. Mr. Gardner served as a director and vice-chairman of Keystone Community Bank from 1997 through the date of the merger and a director of Firstbank Corporation from October 2005 through the date of the merger. Mr. Gardner is President of Gardner Group, which he formed in 1980. Gardner Group provides real estate services throughout southwestern Michigan, including development, construction, management, brokerage and maintenance. Mr. Gardner is a principal in numerous real estate developments, construction projects, and a consulting company. Mr. Gardner holds the designation of Certified Property Manager. Mr. Gardner’s extensive real estate expertise in the markets we serve led us to conclude that he should serve on our Board.

Mr. Edward B. Grant Ph.D., is the Independent Director of Mercantile Bank Corporation. Mr. Grant joined Mercantile’s Board of Directors in June of 2014, following our merger with Firstbank. Mr. Grant served as a director of Firstbank (Mt. Pleasant) from 1988 through the date of the merger and of Firstbank Corporation from 1990 through the date of the merger. He served as Chairman of the Board of Firstbank (Mt. Pleasant) from 1989 through the date of the merger. Mr. Grant retired in August 2015 after having served in various faculty and administrative positions at Central Michigan University (“CMU”), most recently completing 16 years as General Manager of CMU Public Broadcasting. Mr. Grant is a Certified Public Accountant, and holds a Ph.D. in accounting from Michigan State University. We concluded that Mr. Grant should serve on our Board due to his specialized expertise in accounting and connection to the markets we serve.

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